


Share the Burden, Please

by beeberry



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 00:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8600248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeberry/pseuds/beeberry
Summary: Keeping up the "I'm okay and everything is fine" act is an important part of being a leader, but sometimes it backfires, as Shiro finds out.





	1. Say "Fine" One More Time

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote these on a whim because I am Predictable. Thought about turning it into a Five Times fic or expanding the stories, but I have other things I'd rather write. I hope you enjoy these drabbles anyway.

“It’s not that bad.”

“It IS that bad!”

“I can cauterize it.”

“With WHAT?”

“With my hand.” Shiro lifted his prosthetic, waving it slightly at Hunk.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

“Or I could bleed out,” Shiro said, almost dry considering his labored breathing.

“OR you could BANDAGE IT like a NORMAL PERSON.” Hunk pressed harder on the gaping hole in Shiro’s leg. It was a clean shot, at least, by something more like a bullet than the lasers they generally dealt with. Hunk wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.

“With what?” Shiro asked, turning Hunk’s question back on him.

“I’ll find something,” Hunk said, glancing around desperately. There weren’t a lot of options. They were wearing their armor, so there was nothing to rip apart off themselves, but there had to be something on this planet. They’d found shelter at the edge of a village, or the ruins of one. Hunk swallowed, trying not to think about the risks of infection, alien, literally alien, germs and viruses that could do anything to their bodies. The healing pods seemed able to heal almost anything, but so far they’d been dealing with wounds without infection (thank you, laser weapons). Still, he would have to have faith.

Pulling off his headband, Hunk tied it around Shiro’s leg just above the wound as a temporary tourniquet.

“Thanks,” Shiro said, then tried to push himself to his feet.

“Oh no no no no no! No!” Hunk pushed him back. “Do you want to bleed to death? Stay still!”

“We can’t just stay here,” Shiro said, sounding unfairly reasonable. “We might have been followed.”

“I can’t believe Coran thought this planet was friendly. How is shooting at us on sight friendly?” Hunk complained.

“A lot can change in ten thousand years,” Shiro pointed out. “Coran’s information may be a little outdated, but he still knows way more than we do.”

“Fine, but I’m taking everything he says from now on with a grain of salt. A whole tablespoon of salt,” Hunk said. “And stop trying to stand up!”

Shiro had managed to get halfway up on his good leg, bracing himself against the wall of the crumbling building they’d taken refuge in. “Hunk, I’m really--”

“If you say ‘fine,’ I’ll kill you myself. Look, you’re right, we have to move, but just-- Here.”

Hunk slipped his arm around Shiro’s back. Shiro, for all his talk, put his arm over Hunk’s shoulder and leaned on him gratefully. Then he yelped when Hunk brought his other arm under Shiro’s legs and lifted him into the air.

“You don’t have to carry me.”

“Kill you. Myself,” Hunk reminded him. “Just tell me where we should go.”

“Higher ground is probably our best bet. We need to get an idea of the terrain, and a vantage point so we can see anyone coming.”

“And we might be able to spot the others.”

“I’d be surprised if they weren’t looking for us, assuming they got away alright themelves.”

“They definitely got away. They’re probably in better shape than you.”

“Let’s hope so.”


	2. No, It's Not Okay

Honestly, Shiro snapping at Lance was just the last straw.

Hunk grabbed Shiro by the wrist and tugged his arm over his shoulders.

“Hunk? Hey!” Shiro protested as Hunk leveraged him off the ground, letting go of his arm only when he’d gotten a grip under Shiro’s knees. “Hunk, put me down!”

“No.”

Resolutely, Hunk set off in the direction they had been walking, ignoring the stares of the others and forcing them to walk or get left behind.

“Uh, buddy?” Lance started.

Speaking to Shiro, Hunk went on, “You are injured and exhausted--”

“No more than anyone--” Shiro started.

“INJURED. AND. TIRED.” Hunk raised his voice over Shiro’s. “We’re definitely getting Coran to look at that head wound, but right now there’s no immediate danger, so I’m going to carry you so you can get some rest.” Hunk looked over his shoulder so he could pin Shiro with a glare. “A good leader knows when to hand over command. Like when they’re so tired they start snapping at their team for no good reason.”

Satisfied with the shame finally creeping over Shiro’s face, Hunk turned back and kept walking. “Keith, you lead.”

Hunk heard a soft “Sorry.” Then “Sorry, Lance.”

Lance, walking next to Hunk, replied, “Hey, uh, apology accepted.”

After that it was quiet aside from the noises of the planet around them and Keith’s guidance from the lead. Pidge glanced back at them from time to time until eventually she slowed her pace to walk beside them. In a low voice she said, “I think he’s asleep.”

Hunk glanced out of the corner of his eye at where Shiro’s head had come to rest on his shoulder.

“Was he that tired?” Lance asked from Hunk’s other side.

“He always hides it.” Keith spoke up from suddenly much closer than he had been. Lance jumped, not having noticed that Keith had stopped to wait for them. “How tired he is,” Keith clarified.

Hunk nodded. “Gets pretty obvious, though.”

They all paused for a moment, attention on Shiro, before Keith and Pidge started walking again and Lance and Hunk followed.

“Hey, Hunk,” Lance said. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”

“Of course, buddy.”


End file.
